They make nursing school much harder than it needs to be

QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 18, 2012

Nursing school is hard because they own you. I go to a two year school and for those two years, you can't make a move without consulting their schedule for you. It blows. The testing style is also utterly ridiculous. I'd rather take an essay test. I've never found a place better at beating the self-confidence out of me with regard to my grades. A nursing instructor's main goal in life seems to be to shower one with an endless trail of busy-work. Just wrote a 10 page paper? Here, write two more, plus a care-plan that takes about 12 hours to do properly, do these daily clinical sheets even though I know you're already up to your ears in work, a group project (shudder) for good measure, and find some time in there to study so you can actually pass the dang class.

that felt good.

ER(notso)n00b, ASN, RN · Sep 18, 2012

Yep, agreed. I refer to nursing school as boot camp, and I am a Navy veteran so I've been through an actual boot camp. The difference is, this "boot camp" is unrelenting... I still have a year to go. And I still have to maintain my normal life since I am now married with three kids. What I wouldn't give to go to the mess hall for my meals. But no, I have to be the mess hall too. It's been a rough week, rant over.

mom_coach_nurse, LPN · Sep 18, 2012

Since I start tonight, I'm hyper aware of everything I've read & heard here. I'm planning for the worst & hoping for the best.

WorkingTowardsBSN · Sep 18, 2012

I'm very grateful to be attending that same "care-bear" school. We've been in class for 2 weeks, and while it's overwhelming, I feel very confident about the program. Our instructors truly seem to care about us and making sure we learn/understand the content. Our very first quizzes were all gone over together so we'd begin to understand NCLEX testing styles and start refocusing our minds to think like nurses.

I'm very, very grateful.

Julesmama28 · Sep 18, 2012

I agree with the previous poster, our school is ver well respected. It's tough to get into, but now that I'm in I'm finding it really well organized. No tricks or surprises so far. It's been tough, overwhelming and I'm studying a lot- but it's fair. I love my professors, they do care! They want us to be excited about nursing, and really learn. Im one of the lucky ones...I guess!

ddunnrn · Sep 18, 2012

I am saddened when I hear about some of the nursing school experiences reported since I graduated almost 30 years ago. I went to a well-respected diploma school in Philadelphia--the Albert Einstein Med. Ctr. School of Nusing. They bent over backwards to ensure that everyone graduated if at all possible. I did very well academically, but I needed financial aid, and some accommodations due to my work schedule, and they were nice enough to let me graduate even though I owed them a significant amount of money. Only 2 students out of 80 dropped out before graduation, but I fear that that number would have been much higher had the administration not supported the students as much as they did. Sometimes I wonder what the motivation for this new harshness I hear about can be.

rubato, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2012

Mine was really hard and tough to get into, but now that we're in, the professors are all there to help us succeed. They aren't treating us with kid gloves, it's hard work. But, they want all of us to graduate and pass NCLEX and get jobs, not just pass a test. I met with my adviser/clinical instructor yesterday and she was wonderful and wants to teach me whatever I need to get through the program. :)

LCinTraining · Sep 19, 2012

My school is one of the most respected schools in our region, however the organization has sent me spiraling into anxiety attacks. My sons psychiatrist got started as an RN before eventually going to med school. He flat out told me nursing school was way harder than med school. I don't feel so bad now lol.

Lizzyru · Sep 19, 2012

I think what makes our nursing program so challenging is that when we started, they created a mental image in us that this is a survival of the fittest - like a boot camp almost! It somewhat prove to be true since on our small satellite campus, we started out with 25 and we've already lost 7 by level 3. Not only that, I feel like what should be a unified, 'we are all in this together' attitude we should all have but instead, we are out there only for his/her own. We are already into block 4 and we feel like not all of us have someone watching our backs. I know not all classes are like this - those in block 3, their group is such a unified class that is willing to help each other. We kind of missed out on that. I am hoping that that can still change. We are in a 5 block program (BSN) and will graduate in May, God willing. Keeping a small, support group within the class really helps. I am fortunate to have a handful of classmates that I can rely on and at least a couple that I can really trust. Having that "we are all in this together" attitude will not only help you but your classmates too. :) Best wishes!!!

SC APRN, DNP, APRN, NP · Sep 19, 2012

I'd rather be overseas!! I've enjoyed most of it even though my school is extremely unorganized. It has made my class a very close and supportive group.

sweetnurse786 · Sep 19, 2012

I hate to say this but nursing schools and the whole nursing industry has become a business. Everyone wants to make money and everyone wants a stable job and everyone wants a good career....nursing schools are competitive and they have made it harder to pass because the nursing career itself is tough and competitive. Now days, I feel nurses spend more time documenting and trying to save themselves (which we all have to) vs. spending time with the patients. No one wants a lawsuit in their hands and no one wants to lose their licenses....so the schools build you to be strong and be hard working. Thats why I believe the schools have made their programs tough to make sure the people in nursing school are legit and can handle the stress level, competitiveness and the hard work.